


Relent

by VividSunsets



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, canon-typical levels of darksiders not knowing personal space, forcible mind reading, or mental space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:40:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23829241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VividSunsets/pseuds/VividSunsets
Summary: Maul reads Jesse's mind on Mandalore, Jesse feels awful.
Relationships: CT-5597 | Jesse & Darth Maul
Comments: 13
Kudos: 60





	Relent

Maul’s fingers delved into Jesse’s mind, and he screamed; his memories laid bare for both of them.

His graduation, his first battle, meeting Hardcase and Kix, Umbara, Tup’s tragedy and Fives’ death, becoming an ARC Trooper, losing Kix. 

Those memories meant the world to Jesse, yet Maul sifted through them as though they were sand in a quarry, and Jesse’s attempt to hold onto those memories despite it all, to return to those good times if only for a moment, were left behind as Maul found who he was looking for.

Commander Tano joining the 501st, him acutely aware how inexperienced she was; her meeting Jesse, asking his name and never forgetting it afterward; the disaster over Ryloth and the fear and hatred curdling in his stomach (Maul settled there longer than he had to, the stench of the memory setting in too much, too too much); Commander Tano on Umbara, so close yet unable to reach them—

No. 

No.

No!!!

Jesse’s memories were sacred, and Commander Tano and Captain Rex deserved their privacy. His brothers did too. He gritted his teeth and braced against Maul, and his fingers felt like molasses, struggling for purchase in his thoughts. Maul knew he was close, close to a major event, and he pushed. 

The trial.

Commander Tano reportedly firing on clones. Rex cursing, telling the 501st that she would never, that Fox had looked too quickly.

Jesse groaned, struggled, pleaded with Maul to not look. These memories would not only betray Commander Tano, it’s what he’d hidden within himself as to not betray himself, his brothers.

Maul pressed.

Jesse didn’t give.

Maul was truly in his head now, and Jesse felt him in his entire being, like spiders crawling on the inside of his eyelids, voice echoing in his mind, the itch in his trigger finger, a sudden phantom pain across his midsection, his head ready to explode.

Jesse relented.

Maul continued to pull and pull, but this time it was easy, like a grappling line retracting into the gun.

Commander Tano’s trial, the doubt buzzing through the clones; whispers of what the Republic had become; the Commander walking away; Rex’s devastation; Skywalker withdrawn with a snap; the nightmares getting stronger.

While Jesse’s sobs no longer shook the room, his face was wet, and he became distinctly aware of how pathetic he must look in front of Maul. He barely had the energy for anger, but he continued to cry tears of bitter humiliation.

He’d betrayed them all. Commander Tano and Rex, the entire 501st, Mandalore, and yet, he felt an overwhelming sense of relief that his wits were still about him.

What sort of ARC Trooper was he?

When Maul pulled back, he saw him open his eyes as well, and Jesse flinched, bracing himself for the inevitable. He wasn’t prepared for Maul to gently place a hand on his shoulder, though he gripped tight when Jesse pulled back.

“A wise decision,” Maul said softly, removing his hand but remaining close, “it would have been a shame, to destroy a mind as clever as yours.”

Jesse reeled at the bizarre timing and placement of the compliment, his emotions spinning so wildly he didn’t know how to feel.

“You fought well, for a clone, though I knew you would bend. After all, good soldiers follow orders,” Maul said with a smirk, and a tidal wave of hatred rolled through Jesse. 

How dare Maul, how dare he.

As if, after taking a stroll through Jesse’s memories, Maul would come close to understanding the collective sacrifice, the connection between him and his brothers and—

Jesse swallowed the bile building in his stomach and looked up at Maul, deciding there was no point in holding back fate.

“So, when are you going to kill me?”

Maul tilted his head, smiled, then shook his head.

“No, no, Jesse,” he said, barely keeping the laugh out of his words, “You’re free to go. After all, you’ve given me what I need, and Lady Tano needs a good soldier like you.”

Jesse looked away, feeling his face flush angry and hot.

“Such shame,” Maul crooned, “that you failed your Republic—“

“You’re wrong.” 

Maul stopped, giving Jesse his full attention.

“You looked into my head, you know how I, how the clones, feel about the Republic, about the Jedi. You made me betray my brothers, Rex, even Commander Tano. I’m ashamed of _that_ , Maul. 

Jesse paused, swallowing.

“You know the direction the Republic’s going yourself,” he said in the barest whisper.

Maul studied Jesse’s face for a while, and it was eerie, his eyes glowing inconceivably in the dark, his right hand tense, as if to take his lightsaber and stab Jesse through the heart. He stepped forward, and Jesse winced again.

“Your mind will serve you well," he reiterated, smiling at Jesse in a manner that was frighteningly genuine.

Maul walked behind Jesse and put his hand between his shoulderblades. Jesse recoiled, but Maul pushed, and Jesse stumbled forward, uneasy on his feet.

“Come along now, let’s return you to your friends.”

**Author's Note:**

> Poor Jesse! This is less proofread than usual, but it's been a long while since I've written a fic this fast, and I wanted to explore how Jesse was doing throughout all this.


End file.
